Riverside secondary graduate Brad West topped the polls in the last civic election but he's humble when asked if he can repeat the accomplishment.
"I'm working as hard as I can, knocking on as many doors as possible and trying to get the best result that I can," the 29-year-old union-backed candidate said.
The issue of affordable living is West's main topic. Many people he grew up with have been forced to leave PoCo because of the high cost of homes, not able to stretch their incomes to stay, he said.
As a city councillor, West is committed to finding efficiencies at city hall to keep property tax bills low. "We just can't keep going back to taxpayers and asking for more and more and more. There's not a bottomless pit of money."
But asked what impact the recent efficiency review for city hall has had, West admits there have been challenges. Some positions haven't been filled while capital projects are on a priority list.
"It's all about balancing needs with available funds," he said. "That means you can't do everything At the municipality, we should be focusing on the core services that people expect for their property tax dollars."
As for creating jobs, West said he's proud light industrial business has come to the Dominion Triangle and he's eager to create a vibrant downtown for business to grow. Over the next four years, West wants to see the downtown core further densify and beautify, "making sure it becomes a focal point of the community."
West has no preference for the Fremont connector route. "I'm still really troubled by the issue of PoCo residents having to pick up the tab for a connection that I think primarily serves people outside of the municipality Our community does not need to be subservient to Coquitlam."
Website: bradwest.ca
